The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The DoD is reporting a new death unreported by the military. Sgt. Ryan D. Sharp died Saturday, December 3rd at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany. He was originally wounded from an IED blast in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Monday, November 21st.

Kirkuk:
#1: Two mortar rounds landed near a Shi'ite mosque where pilgrims were gathering to commemorate a major religious ritual in the city of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, killing one civilian and wounding eight, including a policeman, police said.

Mosul:
#1: A member of the Kurdish security forces was wounded when a roadside bomb targeting his patrol went off near the city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Tal Afar:
#1: A Katyusha rocket landed at the Kurdistan Democratic Party headquarters in Tal Afar, about 420 km (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad, and wounded one guards, police said.

Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Twelve people were killed Wednesday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a provincial government spokesman said. “Twelve civilians, among them women and children, were killed today when their van hit in a roadside bomb,” said Daud Ahmadi. He added that the civilians were travelling from provincial capital Lashkar Gah to Sangin district when the blast took place.

#2: Officials in the ministry of defense of Afghanistan following a statement said, at least three militants were killed and 27 other suspects were detained by Afghan security forces following military operations across the country during the past 24 hours. The source further added, the operations were conducted in southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces, western Herat province and eastern Paktiya province during the past 24 hours.

#3: The body of a paramilitary soldier kidnapped in August by militants during a cross-border attack on Pakistani troops was found in the northwestern Chitral region near the border with Afghanistan, military officials said.

#4: A small roadside bomb exploded on a bridge in the southern city of Karachi, wounding two people, police officials said.

#5: Militants fired six rocket-propelled grenades from hilltops at buildings in the northwestern town of Hangu, wounding three policemen, police officials said.

#6: Militants fired four RPGs that exploded near a Shi'ite Ashura procession in the town of Kalaya in northwestern Orakzai tribal region, security officials said. There were no casualties.

#7: Twelve militants and two Pakistani soldiers were killed in overnight clashes in the northwestern tribal region of Kurram on the Afghan border, security officials said.

#8: Three security officials with the Afghan intelligence agency were injured Wednesday when a motorcycle bomb went off in the country's southern Uruzgan province, police said. The blast happened at around 01:30 p.m. local time Wednesday in Dihrawud district when a vehicle carrying head of intelligence department of the district namely Ghulam Mohiudin, was passing by, police chief of the district Omar Khan told Xinhua.